Inseam sewing-machine.



E. E. WINKLBY.

INSEAM SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.2G,1910,

Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/m W W92;

E. E. WINKLE. INSEAM SEWING MAGHN. I

APBLIGATION FILED MAR. ze, 1910.

LSB

`ERASTUS E. WINKLEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSEAM SEWINGTMACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedti'une i8, i912.

Application `iled March 2G, 1910. Serial No. 551,656.

appertains to make and use the same.

rlhe'invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly to sewii'ig machines such as are used inthe manufacture of boots andshoes for sewing together the upper aiitl`.sole of a turn shoe, or the upper, welt and insole of a welt shoe. Inseam sewing machines of this character are usually provided with a channel guide against which theshoe is held by the operator as he guides and manipulates it to properly position the seam. In order that the shoe may be prop erly presented to the stitch forming devices, the operator should, as the sewing progresses, tip the shoe longitudinally in accordance with the longitudinal curvature of the shoe sole at the point of operation, sothat the channel guide may invariably engage the bottom of the .channel or base of the rib on the shoe throughout the scwing of the sh'oe. This requires a high degree of skill and extreme care on the part of the operator.

In certain automatic machines it has been proposed to support the shoe upon a jack,

and to provide mechanism for alitomatically varying the relative position of the Jack and sewing mechanism to properly position the seam as the point of operation of the sewing mechanism is trans 'erred around the shoe. It' has been diiiieult, if not impracticable,- in these automatic machines, to secure the relative longitudinal tipping movements of the shoe and sewing mechanism requisite for properly positioning the seam, owing to the variations in t-he longitudinal curvature of the 'soles of diiferent shoes even of the same style and size.

`It is accordingly the object of. the present invention to provide means for correct] y p0- sitioning the base of the channel or iiilmon the sole wit-h i'clationto the stitch forming mechanism during the sewing operation, without requiring an accurate longitudinal tipping of the shoe by the operator, or an accurate relative longitudinal tipping of the shoe and sewing mechanism in the case of an automatic machine.

To this Aend a feature of the invention' conteniplatesrt-lie provision in an inseam sewing machine of means operating to engage the shoe sole and correct the position ofthe channel or rib on the sole with relation to the needle during the sewing of the shoe. By the operation of the correcting means the channel or rib is brought into coi-rect relation to the needle without requiring accurate and skilful manipulation of the shoe by theoperator, or accurate longitudinal tipping movements of the jack or sewing mechanism in an automatic machine. The invention in its broader aspects contemplates the use of any suitable form and construction ofvcorrecting means which by engagement with the sole will correct any inaccuracy in the position of the base of the channel or rib on the insole with relation to the needle prior to the engagement of the needle with the work, and thus sccure the proper positioning of. the inseamA l prefer, however, to employ as the correcting means a device which operates during the sewing operation to find the bottoni of the channel or base of the rib on the insole even if the shoe is inaccurately held, and bring it into uniform relation to the needle as the sewing progresses around the shoe. This device may be one of `the devices which are usuallyembodied in an inseam sewing machine, or may be an additional device incorporated therein. In the simplest aii'd most eilicient form of the invention which I have yet devised, the channel guide is also utilized as the -device for finding the base of the channel or rib on the insole and uniformly positioning it withi'elation to the needle at the point of operation. In this preferred construction the channel guide is given this function by so mounting it the channel guide prior tothe formation of each stitch. With this construction,

when the channel gage. vis operated to eii' gage the base of the channel orrib, it accommodatesv itself to the vert-ical position of the shoe sole, and uniformi f engages the sole at the bottoni of the channel or base of.

4thus bringing the hase of the channel or channel guide centered or brought into a listed position with relation to the needle, rib at the pointl of operation into proper position with relation to the needle, in case it was incorrectly positioned when engaged by the channel guide.

It is usual to so mount the channel guide that it moves with the awt or feed point during its feeding and return strokes. In operating upon poor rades of insoles, and espe cially'in operating upon insoles which are reinforced with canvas or other strengtheningfabrc, the channel guide is liable to catch in the sole during its return' stroke, and thus interfere with the proper' operat-ion of the machine, or injure the insole,

A further feature of the invention accord ingly contemplates the provision of means for lifting the channel gage vertically or away from the surface of the sole during its return stroke. This feat-ure of the invention is' of especial importance in case the invention is embodied in an automatic machine in which the surface of the sole is pressed continuously against the channel gage.

The invention also contemplates the lifting of a-ny device which may he employed for or rib and positioning it, in case such device is constructed to reciprocate in the line of the feed.

The various features of the invention will he understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the mechanism shown therein.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevr tion of a turn and welt sewing machine ein bodying the invention in its preferred form.; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing only the feed awl, channel guide, and the devices for actuating them.

In the drawings the invention is shown embodied inthe well-known Goodyear welt and turn machine. This machine is provided with a back rest 1, a hack gage or welt guide 2, a curved hook needle 3,. a thread. finger Ll, a looper 5, and a talreup 6, all of which are constructed and operated as in the Goodyear machine referred to. The machine is also provided with a feed slide 'i' which is rcciprocated by a cam 8 eonmrcted with the slide through a lever 9 and `connections similar to the connections between the 'operating lever and feed slide olf the Goodyear' machine referred to. The. machine shown is also provided with a channel guide l?. and a feed point or-awl 13 which are pivotally mounted upon the feed slide, aud are moved toward and from the hase of the channel in substantially the same finding the. hase of the channel.

manner as the channel guide and feed point of the Goodyear machine. In the present construction the channel guide not only performs the functions of the channel guide in themGoodyear machine, but also acts as a means for correcting the position of the base of the channel or. rib on the sole ,with 'rela` tion to the needle previous to the passage of the needle through the' Work. To this end the channel guide is so mounted that it may move vertically, z'. e. in adireetion substantially at right angles to the surface of the shoe sole, to accommodate itself `to the vertical position ofthe sole at the point where it is engaged by the `channel guide, and means is provided for uniformly ce'ntering or bringing the channel guide into a fixed position with relation to the needle previous to the advance of the' needle through the work. In the specific construction shown the lever '14 which carries the channel guide is pivoted upon a slide 1G` guided in a vertical slot 1.- formed in the feed slide. The slide is forced yieldingly in a direct-ion' to press the channel guide against the surface of the shoe sole by a spring 18. The lever 19 which carries the feed awl 13 is also pivoted on the block 16 l eoncentrically wit-h the channel guide, the arms 14 and ltlbeing journaled on a stud 20 projecting from the side of the slide 1G. The devices for centering the. channel guide .comprise two arms 9.2 and 23 arranged to engage the upper and lower ends respec tively of a rod Q1 to which the slide 16 is4 secured. The arms l2 and 23eme secured upon roe-k shafts 211 and 25 and are operated at proper intervals to determine the vertical ,i

position of the channel guide, by cams 2G and 27 arranged to engage rolls carried by arms and 29 secured to the rock shafts.

In the. drawings the parts are shown in the positions which they occupy Aat the end of the forward or feeding movement of the feed slide, and just as the needle is about to start forward. it this time the awl and channel guide are in engagement with the base of the. channel or rib on thev insole, and are held in lixed vertical position by the roel( arms 22 and 2?. While the parts are in this position the awl is retracted and the needle advanced through the work, the base of the channel or rib being held in'proper relation to the needle by the channel guide. After the needle has completed its forward stroke the channel guide is rocked to relieve the pressure upon the base of the channel, and the feed slide is retracted. nel guide is rocked, the rock arms Q2 and 23 are actuated to raise the channel guide verti cally away from the surface of the shoe sole during the return stroke of the feed slide. 'lhe channel guide does not therefore drag on the surface of the sole duringits return stroke, and there is no danger that it `will As the chan- Loeopes .batch in and injure the sole, or put an undue strain upon theneedle. At the end of the return stroke of the feed slide the rock arm 22 is swung downward, so that the channel guide is free to move vertically under the influence of the spring 18. The channel guide will' now engage the surface of the shoe' sole, the vertical position of the guide depending upon the position in which the shoe happens to be held. The channel guide thus automatically accommodates itself to the vert-ical position of thed surface of the shoe sole, and will find and engage the base of the channel or rib on the sole when it is swung forward. The accurate engagement of the channel guide with the base of the channel or ri'o does not therefore require that the .surface of the sole be accurately held or positioned at the point Where the lchannel guide engages it. When the channel guide is rocked or moved forward to engage the base of the channel, the awl is also actuated to engage the work. The feed slide is now advanced to feed the work, and

as the feed iscompleted th'e rock arms 22 and 23 are actuated to center or move the channel guide into accurate and proper position with relation to the needle, and to bring the awl into alinement with the needle. This completes the cycleof operations which is performed during the formation of each stitch. Thus previous to each advance stroke ot' the needle, the channel guide finds and engages the base of the channel or rib on the insole at a point in advance of the needle, and then accurately and uniformly positions the base of the channel or rib with relation to the needle, so thatthe seam will be accurately and uniformly positioned without requiring longitudinal tipping movements of the shoe by the operator, or relative longitudinal tipping movements of the shoe and sewing mechanism by automatic devices.

lVhilc it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of the parts shown and described, it will be understood thatthis construction and arrangement is noty essential, and may be varied and modified Without departing' from the invention. ltivill also he understood that it is not essential that the channel `milde or other device for engaging' and positioning the base of the channel or rib on the insole should be raised clear ot' the surface oi' the solo during its travel along the surface ot the sole, although this (mnstruction is of advantage, especially in embodying tho in- 'vention in an automatic machine.

Having,l explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may-bc embodied, what l claim is:-

l. n inseam se\ving macliine, having', in con'ibination, stitch forming mechanism, and

combination, stitch forming means operating during the sewing of the shoe to automatically find the base of the channel or rib if inaccurately positioned and to correctly position it with relation to the needle, substantially as described.

2. An inseam sewing' machine, having, in combination, stitch forming' mechanism in cluding a needle, and means ope-rating to engage the shoe lsole and correct inaccuracies 1n the positlonof the channel or rib with relation to the needle during the sewing' of the shoe,l substantially as described.

3. An inseam sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism and a sole positioiling device arranged to engage the shoe sole mounted for movement in a .direction substantially at right angles to tue 'surface of the sole, and means operating th uniformly position said device previous to each work piercing stroke of the needle, substantially as described.

4. An inseam sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch formingl mechanism and a sole engaging' device mounted for movement to accommodate itself to variations in the plane of the sole, and means for uniformly positioning; said device during the forn'iation of each stitch to determine the positioirof the seam, substantially as de scribed. i

5. An inseam sewing machine, having', in mechanism, a sole engaging device mounted for movement to accommodate itself to the position of the surface of the sole, in --ans for uniformly positioning the said device during,r theformation of cach stitch, and means for holding said device clear of the surface of the sole during its relative travel along the sole, substantially .as described.

G. An inseam sewing machine, having, in combination, stitclrforming mechaniszn, a channel guide mounted to yield in a direc tion substantially at right angles to the surface of the sole, and means for centering thc channel guide previous to the passage ot' the needle through the work, substantially as described.

T. An inseam sewing nlaclune, having, in con'iblmition, stitch, forming mechanism, a

Vchannel `guide mounted for movement toward and from the base of the channel and to yield in a. direction substantially at right angles to the surface of the shoe sole, and means for center-inn' the channel guide previous to the passage of the .needle through k the work, substantially as described.

8. An inseam sewing' machine, having, in combination',` stitch forming mechanism, a feed slide, a channel guide mounted thereon for nmvcment to accommmlate vitself to the position of the shoe sole, and means for centering the guide prev-ions to the passage ol the needle through the `ivorlc, substantially as described.

@a insane-.3

9. An inseamsewingr machine, having, in combination, stitch forming; meehanism, a channel guide and feed aivl mounted for movement to accommodate themselves to the position of the shoeI solo, and mechanism for centering the guide and awl previous to the passage of the needle through the work, substantially as d'eseiihed.

210. An inseam sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a channel' guide, mechanism for moving the guide toward and from the base of the ellennel, and mechanism for lifting the guide clear of the surface of the sole during its relative tavel along the sole, substantially as described.

lil. An inseam sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming,` mechanism, a channel `guide mounted for movement to* ward and from the surface of the sole and for movement,toward and from the hase of the channel, and :neehanisn'i for centering the guide previous to the passage of the needletln'ongh the woi'lt, and for raising the guide clear of the surface of the sole during its relative travel along 'theshoe, substantially as described.

1Q. An inseam sewing machine, having, in eonx'oination", stitch forming meehanismineludingj a needle, a sole engaging device, and meehanism for aetmiting .said device during each stitch forming eyele to correct inaoeinaeies in the position of the base of the ehannel oi' iib with relation to the needle previous to thel .passage of the needle through the Work, snbstalltially as described.

13. An inseam sewingmaehine, having, in Combination, stitch Yforegoing mechanism, and' .means operating during the sewing of the shoe to automatically ind the base of the rib or channel when out of the line of feed and to Correctly position it with relalion to the needle at the sewing point, substantially described.

. El-ASTUS VVINKLEY.

Witnesses N. D. MCPHAIL, hunnen G. Comite. 

